Laura Childs has 28 audiobooks on Listento.it, narrated by 3 narrators, with an average listener rating of 4.5★ across 6 ratings. The most-rated is Broken Bone China.
Broken Bone China
Summary
Theodosia Browning serves tea and solves crimes in Charleston, a city steeped in tradition and treachery in the latest Tea Shop Mystery from New York Times best-selling author Laura Childs. It is Sunday afternoon, and Theodosia and Drayton are catering a formal tea at a hot-air-balloon rally. The view aloft is not only stunning, but they are also surrounded by a dozen other colorful hot-air balloons. But as the sky turns gray and the clouds start to boil up, a strange object zooms out of nowhere. It is a drone, and it appears to be buzzing around the balloons, checking them out. As Theodosia and Drayton watch, the drone, hovering like some angry, mechanized insect, deliberately crashes into the balloon next to them. An enormous, fiery explosion erupts, and everyone watches in horror as the balloon plummets to the earth, killing all three of its passengers. Sirens scream, first responders arrive, and Theodosia is interviewed by the police. During the interview, she learns one of the downed occupants was Don Kingsley, the CEO of a local software company, SyncSoft. Not only do the police suspect Kingsley as the primary target, they learn he possessed a rare Revolutionary War Union Jack flag on which several people were rabidly bidding. Intrigued, Theodosia begins her own investigation. Was it the CEO's soon-to-be ex-wife, who is restoring an enormous mansion at no expense? The CEO's personal assistant, who also functioned as curator of his prized collection of Americana? Two rival antiques dealers known for dirty dealing? Or was the killer the fiancée of one of Theodosia's dear friends, who turns out to be an employee - and whistle-blower - at SyncSoft?
©2019 Gerry Schmitt (P)2019 Recorded Books
Plum Tea Crazy
Summary
While viewing the harbor's Gaslights and Galleons Parade from the widow's walk of Timothy Neville's Charleston mansion, local banker Carson Lanier seemingly tumbles over a narrow railing, then plunges three stories to his death. But a tragic accident becomes something much more sinister when it's discovered that the victim was first shot with a bolt from a crossbow. At the request of the mansion owner, Theodosia investigates the tragedy and is soon neck deep in suspects. An almost ex-wife, a coworker, a real estate partner - all had motives for killing the luckless banker, but one resorted to murder to settle accounts.
©2018 Gerry Schmitt (P)2018 Recorded Books
Eggs on Ice
Summary
Some say that casting crusty attorney Allen Sharpe as Scrooge in the Kindred Players production of A Christmas Carol is just playing to type. He's not the most beloved man in town. In fact, you'd have a dickens of a time finding someone who liked him. Still, it's a shock when the Ghost of Christmas Past stabs him during the first rehearsal. Suzanne, the co-owner of the Cackleberry Club Cafe (Kindred's favorite combination diner, craft store, and bookshop), chases the murderer out of the building but loses him in the alley. As the days pass, the list of suspects grows longer. Is it the disgruntled partner? The former secretary whom Sharpe sexually harassed? Or is it Suzanne's fellow owner of the Cackleberry Club, Toni's almost ex-husband, Junior? The women of the Cackleberry Club are determined to find the killer before he can add another victim to his Christmas list.
©2018 Dreamscape Media, LLC (P)2018 Dreamscape Media, LLC
Egg Shooters
Summary
Suzanne Dietz, co-owner of the Cackleberry Club Café, is visiting her fiancé, Dr. Sam Hazelet, when a masked gunman bursts into the emergency room. He shoots two people and would probably have done more damage had Suzanne not brained him with a thermos full of chili. Still, the gunman manages to escape. Now the ladies of the Cackleberry Club are determined to find the killer before he finds them.
©2020 Dreamscape Media, LLC (P)2020 Dreamscape Media, LLC
Mumbo Gumbo Murder
Summary
A shocking murder strikes a sour note during Jazz Fest in the latest New Orleans Scrapbooking Mystery from New York Times best-selling author Laura Childs. It's Jazz Fest in New Orleans, and the giant puppets from the Beastmaster Puppet Theatre are parading through the French Quarter. Some are very spooky and veiled, others are tall and gangly, like strange aliens. As the parade proceeds, Carmela Bertrand and her best friend, Ava, follow behind, down Royal Street and past the food booths. Suddenly, they hear a terrible crash from Devon Dowling's antiques shop. They rush inside to find Devon collapsed with blood streaming down the side of his face. Has he been shot? Stabbed? 911 is hastily called, and the police and EMTs show up. After the police examine Devon's body, they tell Carmela and Ava that their friend was murdered with an icepick. They're shocked beyond belief - and now Mimi, Devon's little pug, is left homeless. Carmela and Ava are determined to catch the murderer, but the list of suspects is long. How long do they have before they find themselves on the killer's list?
©2019 Gerry Schmitt (P)2019 Recorded Books
Devonshire Scream
Summary
The New York Times best-selling author of Ming Tea Murder serves up heists, homicides, and herbal blends in the latest in the Tea Shop mysteries. Catering a high-class trunk show at Heart's Desire Jewelry is a shining achievement for Theodosia and the Indigo Tea Shop. After all, a slew of jewelers, museums, and private collectors will be there to showcase their wares and sip some of Theo's best blends. But just as Theo settles in to enjoy the fruits of her labor, the party is crashed by a gang of masked muggers who steal the precious gems and jewels on display. The thieves disappear almost as quickly as they arrived, leaving shattered glass, scattered gemstones, and a dead body in their wake. Although the last thing Theo wants is to get involved, she can't help but intercede when her dear friend Brooke, aunt of the victim and owner of Heart's Desire, begs for help in figuring out who committed the brutal burglary. Though the FBI believes this daring "smash and grab" is the work of an international gang of jewel thieves, Theo is convinced that the felon is someone much closer to home....
©2016 Gerry Schmitt & Associates (P)2016 Recorded Books
Ming Tea Murder
Summary
It's scones and scandal for Indigo Tea Shop owner Theodosia Browning in the latest from the New York Times best-selling author of Steeped in Evil.... Normally Theodosia wouldn't attend a black tie affair for all the tea in China. But she can hardly say no to her hunky, handsome boyfriend Max, who directs public relations for the Gibbes Museum in Charleston. Max has organized an amazing gala opening for an exhibit of a genuine 18th century Chinese teahouse, and the crème de la crème of Charleston society is invited. In the exotic garden staged in the museum's rotunda, a Chinese dragon dances to the beat of drums as it weaves through the crowd. The guests are serenaded by a Chinese violin as they sample an assortment of tempting bites. And to give them a memento of the occasion, there's even a photo booth. But Theodosia makes a grim discovery behind the booth's curtains: the body of museum donor Edgar Webster. While Theodosia prefers tea service over the service of justice, this case is difficult to ignore - especially after Max becomes a suspect. Now she must examine the life of the fallen philanthropist and find out who really wanted him to pay up.... Includes delicious recipes and tea time tips!
©2015 Gerry Schmitt & Associates, Inc. (P)2015 Recorded Books
Gossamer Ghost
Summary
Carmela Bertrand knows that Halloween in New Orleans means a week of rabble-rousing, costumed craziness - and she can't wait to get the party started. But when a local antiques dealer turns up dead, Carmela suddenly finds herself in a real-life danse macabre.… An evening's work deciding on the class schedule for her scrapbooking shop has put Carmela in the mood to kick up her heels. But after some strange noises draw her into Oddities, the neighboring antiques shop, Carmela's night is abruptly put on hold when a bloody body falls out of a curio cabinet - and into her arms. While shop owner Marcus Joubert was known for being an eccentric with a penchant for eclectic merchandise, Carmela never thought he was the kind of man who could inspire the passion required to kill. But when Marcus' assistant - and fiancée - Mavis reveals that a priceless death mask was also stolen, it becomes clear that murder wasn't the culprit's sole intention. Carmela can't resist the urge to investigate the growing mystery, but as the list of suspects increases, she realizes it'll take every trick in the book to unmask the killer thief before there's another night of murderous mischief…
©2014 Gerry Schmidt & Associates, Inc. (P)2014 Recorded Books
Gilt Trip
Summary
Louisiana businessman Jerry Earl Leland served only a fraction of his five-year sentence for white-collar crime, thanks to some political connections and a few greased palms. But he won't have long to enjoy his freedom.... After Jerry Earl's early release, his wife, Margo - a much-married Garden District doyenne - throws an extravagant Get Out of Jail Free Party, complete with a Zydeco band, champagne ice luge, and waiters in ties and tails. The guest list includes many prominent New Orleans socialites, as well as scrapbook shop owner Carmela Bertrand and her best friend, Ava Gruiex. But sometime during the swirl of partying and drinking, Jerry Earl is brutally murdered - then stuffed inside a clothes dryer. Carmela has earned a reputation around town for solving murders, and when the grieving widow turns to her for help, she can't say no. But Jerry Earl took a lot of people to the cleaners with his underhanded business tactics, so Carmela's going to be hard-pressed to identify which of his enemies was steamed enough to kill him. As she sorts through Jerry Earl's dirty laundry, she needs to collar the killer before another victim is set to tumble dry....
©2013 Gerry Schmidt & Associates, Inc. (P)2013 Recorded Books
Crepe Factor
Summary
Scrappy sleuth Carmela Bertrand solves a holiday homicide in New Orleans' French Quarter in the latest Scrapbooking Mystery from the New York Times best-selling author. While strolling through the Winter Market with her best friend, Ava, scrapbook shop owner Carmela Bertrand comes upon a dying man stabbed by a serving fork. The victim is loathed restaurant critic Martin Lash, who posted his scathing reviews on the Glutton for Punishment website. And the prime suspect is New Orleans restauranteur Quigg Brevard - who was seen giving the critic a tongue-lashing minutes before someone stuck a fork in him. An old flame of Carmela's, Quigg asks for her help, which does not please her current beau, Detective Edgar Babcock. Before her relationship is the next victim, Carmela needs to find a murderer who had no reservations about punishing the culinary curmudgeon.
©2016 Gerry Schmitt (P)2016 Recorded Books
Eggs in a Casket
Summary
When the creepy ex-prison warden is found dead in someone else's freshly dug grave, the Cackleberry Club must unscramble the clues and find the true culprit.
©2019 Dreamscape Media, LLC (P)2019 Dreamscape Media, LLC
Steeped in Evil
Summary
Theodosia Browning has never considered herself a wine connoisseur - tea has always been her forte. But that doesn’t mean she’s going to pass up an invitation to a fancy wine-tasting party at the upscale Knighthall Winery, just outside of Charleston, South Carolina. But a sweet evening takes on a bitter aftertaste when a dead body is discovered in one of the wine barrels. The son of proprietor Jordan Knight has been murdered. Dissatisfied with the police investigation, Knight turns to Theo for help. She’s heard through the grapevine that there are both family and business problems at Knighthall. They say in vino veritas, but everyone at the winery seems to be lying through their teeth. Sorting through the guest list as well as family and staff, Theo has her pick of suspects. It may look like the killer has her over a barrel, but cracking tough cases is vintage Theodosia Browning.
©2014 Gerry Schmitt & Assoc, Inc. (P)2014 Recorded Books
Scorched Eggs
Summary
Getting her hair colored at Root 66, Suzanne is stunned to witness the County Services office next door suddenly go up in flames. Sadly, the fire claims the life of longtime civil-service worker - and friend to the Cackleberry Club - Hannah Venable. When it’s discovered that an accelerant was used to fan the flames, Suzanne, Petra, and Toni vow to smoke out the culprit. When Suzanne finds a possible connection between the fire and the nearby Prairie Star Casino, she comes to realize that the arsonist wanted something very big and bad kept secret. And if the ladies aren’t careful, they may be the ones gambling with their lives.
©2019 Dreamscape Media, LLC (P)2019 Dreamscape Media, LLC
Eggs in Purgatory
Summary
After losing their husbands, Suzanne, Toni, and Petra find independence when they open the Cackleberry Club. When a lawyer is murdered with a secret on his lips and egg on his face, their cozy cafe becomes the scene of a crime. In order to save their cafe, the trio will need to investigate the connections between a religious cult and Suzanne's past. But will putting their noses where they don't belong put Suzanne's life on the line?
©2019 Dreamscape Media, LLC (P)2019 Dreamscape Media, LLC
Agony of the Leaves
Summary
New York Times and USA Today best-selling author Laura Childs’ Tea Shop mysteries deliver delicious tales steeped in intrigue. In this 13th series entry, Theodosia Browning is happily catering the opening of Charleston’s Neptune Museum when she discovers the drowned body of ex-boyfriend Parker Scully. The police don’t buy her theory that Parker was murdered, forcing Theodosia to undertake her own investigation to discover the truth.
©2012 Laura Childs (P)2012 Recorded Books, LLC
Egg Drop Dead
Summary
Maintaining good personal relationships with their suppliers is one of the secrets of the Cackleberry Club Café’s success, so Suzanne doesn’t mind going out to Mike Mullen’s dairy farm to pick up some wheels of cheese. She’s looking forward to a nice visit with the mild-mannered farmer before heading back to the café’s hectic kitchen. But when she arrives, Mike’s nowhere to be found. The moaning of his cows leads her to look in the barn, where she discovers a bloodcurdling sight - the farmer’s dead body. Apparently, not everyone was as fond of Mike Mullen as the Cackleberry Club was. Churning with grief and outrage, Suzanne, Petra, and Toni vow to find the farmer’s murderer - but as they get closer to the truth, the desperate killer gets whipped into a frenzy and plans to put the squeeze on them....
©2019 Dreamscape Media, LLC (P)2019 Dreamscape Media, LLC
Eggs Benedict Arnold
Summary
Suzanne, Toni, and Petra lost their husbands but found independence - and, in each other, a life raft of support, inspiration, fresh baked goods, and their own business. But when the Cackleberry Club cafe opened its doors in the town of Kindred, who'd have guessed that the three women would be working a double shift as amateur sleuths? When Suzanne stops by the local funeral home to deliver a pie to funeral director Ozzie Driesden, she discovers him not working at the embalming table, but lying on it. She barely has time to recognize his corpse before she's drugged with chloroform. With more suspects than breakfast specials, the Cackleberry Club scrambles to crack the case before one of their own ends up six feet under.
©2019 Dreamscape Media, LLC (P)2019 Dreamscape Media, LLC
Parchment and Old Lace
Summary
The New York Times best-selling author of Gossamer Ghost returns to the Big Easy and the historic Garden District, where scrapbook shop owner Carmela Bertrand discovers a bride-to-be murdered in the legendary Lafayette Cemetery. Carmela couldn't imagine a finer evening than dinner at Commander's Palace with her beau, Detective Edgar Babcock. The food and the company are equally divine - with the exception of Isabelle Black stopping by to brag about her upcoming wedding. Resuming the romance with a walk in the evening air, the couple is interrupted once again - this time by a terrifying scream from inside the cemetery. Having just seen Isabelle, Carmela and Edgar now find her lying across an aboveground tomb, strangled to death with a piece of vintage lace. Carmela would rather leave the investigating to Edgar, but she can't say no to Isabelle's sister, Ellie, the tarot card reader at Juju Voodoo, when she asks her to help. As she untangles the enemies of Isabelle's past, Carmela hopes she can draw out the killer before someone else gets cold feet.
©2015 Gerry Schmitt (P)2015 Recorded Books
Postcards from the Dead
Summary
Laura Childs' New York Times best-selling Tea Shop and Scrapbooking mysteries have earned her a devoted readership. Set amidst the hustle and bustle of Mardi Gras, this much-anticipated 10th novel in the series follows scrapbooking maven Carmela Bertrand as she investigates the grisly death of TV reporter Kimber Breeze. It's not long before Carmela starts receiving spooky postcards - signed by Kimber herself - and realizes the case entails much more than she bargained for.
©2012 Gerry Schmitt & Associates (P)2012 Recorded Books
Skeleton Letters
Summary
New York Times best-selling author Laura Childs’ cozy Scrapbooking mysteries continue to win fans with each compelling entry. In Skeleton Letters, New Orleans scrapbook shop owner Carmela Bertrand and her friend Ava witness a heinous crime at St. Tristan’s Church that leaves a dear friend dead and an antique crucifix missing. Together, Carmela and Ava search the French Quarter for the crucifix in hopes of finding the killer.
©2011 Gerry Schmitt & Associates, Inc. (P)2011 Recorded Books, LLC